author
Alex Philip
A pioneer of early Whistler who also turned to fiction, he wrote romantic adventure novels shaped by life in the Pacific Northwest. His best-known work, The Crimson West, was later adapted for the screen during the early sound era in Canada.
1 Audiobook
The Crimson West
by Alex Philip
About the author
Born in Maine in 1882, Alex Philip later moved west and became one of the early builders of tourism in what is now Whistler, British Columbia. With his wife, Myrtle Philip, he established Rainbow Lodge at Alta Lake in the 1910s, helping turn the area into a destination for visitors.
Alongside his work as a lodge owner and entrepreneur, he wrote novels including The Crimson West, The Painted Cliff, and Whispering Leaves. His fiction is often described as romance and adventure, and The Crimson West was adapted into the film The Crimson Paradise, an early Canadian talking picture.
That mix of frontier life and storytelling gives his work a special appeal. He wrote not as a distant observer, but as someone deeply tied to the landscapes and communities that inspired his books.